


Hot Steam

by vulpesvulpex



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Band, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Halloween, Implied/Referenced Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-19
Updated: 2016-10-19
Packaged: 2018-08-23 08:40:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8321260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vulpesvulpex/pseuds/vulpesvulpex
Summary: “Do you believe in ghosts?” Josh asked suddenly. Tyler looked sideways at him.“Yeah. Why?” This guy has got to be fucking with me.OR; Tyler meets a new friend on Halloween.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I've been writing for a while but never really published anything, so naturally I'm going to publish something about Halloween. All the love.

“I’m pretty sure sonnets are supposed to be about love.” Jenna mumbled, lips pulled to a laugh as she passed the paper back to him. “Death isn’t very alluring.”

“It’s art.” His eyes crinkled, heat rushing to his face.

He took past the printed piece of paper and put it into one of his folders for Creative Writing class. They were one of the only people left in the library, thankful it was open 24 hours. It was nearing 10 o’clock then, even the librarian looking at them over the edges of her glasses periodically. They were familiar faces so she let them be; Tyler had been going to college for too long to not become acquainted. “I’m not going to say that that wasn’t a totally sick sonnet, but I mean, it’s dark.” Jenna pressed a sloppy kiss into Tyler’s hair, just behind is ear and got up from her seat. “I got to get going if I’m going to catch the bus but – call me? I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He watched his best friend put her bag across her shoulders and wave one last time before disappearing between aisles of books. He was left alone then, absent of his favorite blonde. He stared down at his black phone for a moment, seeing his fingerprints reflecting on the screen itself. It buzzed; a weather notification of rain. His eyebrows all but flew into his hair when he saw the date; October 31st.

Just as he was gripping his phone it buzzed again but a message caught his eyes.

B – _Hey boiiii wanna go to a haunted house?_

T – _sure. Can you pick me up at the library?_

He barely put his binder into his own bag before it buzzed again. Instead of answering he slid it into the pocket of his sweatshirt and slung his back around him. He drifted through he aisles a bit too long because as he descended the steps a clap of thunder sounded overhead. He fell back into the cover of the rain, finally taking out his phone.

B – _good lol shithead wouldn’t come with. See ya soon_

He briefly thought to who shithead might be – probably his roommate. He wasn’t exactly sure what his name was but Brendon and him seemed to be pretty good friends from what he gathered. He let his mind wander; his own roommate was always off partying with his girlfriend or sneaking off to his side piece in the middle of the night. They remained pretty much observant – only ever really seeing each other at night when one of them was falling asleep or on a Netflix binge. They weren’t necessarily friends; acquaintances with a common interest, which happened to be their dorm.

“Hey, you got a light?” The voice made him jump, eyes landing on a person nearby that he hadn’t even heard or seen. They looked around his age, dark brown hair and wide eyes. A silver ring was in his nose and he held an unlit cigarette, crowding in on himself with his thin jacket.

“ _Um_ , yeah.” He rifled through his jean pockets before producing a lighter. He handed it to him and watched as he lit it up, the glow illuminating something he hadn’t seen before; bruises, all littered around his eyes and neck. “Holy shit, you okay?”

“Yeah.” He shrugged. He handed back the bright orange lighter, which Tyler took gratefully. “Thanks though.”

“No problem.” In the small silence that followed Tyler observed him closer; he was a bit shorter but had a certain muscle mass that Tyler lacked. His hair was thick and dark, sticking to his head with water. There wasn’t a speck of rain on the ground, and the clouds passed quickly overhead. He seemed content on shivering in his jacket and smoking, his eyes pulled to a street light across the road. He followed it and settled on something farther in a distance; a gazebo and a pond. A few kids were rolling around in the grass, probably drunk. “I’m Josh.” He said, breaking the silence.

“Tyler.” He blinked, “You look familiar, do we have any classes together?”

“Psychology.” Josh blew the smoke out, the smell making his nose wrinkle. He looked at Tyler for a minute before letting a small smile cross his face. “The girls who sit by me and always talk about you. Nice finally meeting him in person, you know?”

“Why would they talk about me?” His eyebrows drew together.

“You’re hot and they like making everyone but you know it.” Josh shrugged, smile not leaving his face. By the look Tyler had he continued, “You don’t seem to think so, huh?”

“I mean – well, I guess not.” He shifted uncomfortably. He had never thought to be bad looking but not hot. He let his eyes shift across another street where a few guys were jostling each other, laughing drunkenly. “What the hell happened to you?”

“I’m not sure.” Something flashed across his face – regret, pain, weariness – and he took another drag of the cigarette. “Something bad though, considering I don’t know.” Something about his tone chilled Tyler to the bone – it was vague and empty, all but lacking emotion other than a slight curiosity. _I would be a little more curious if I couldn’t remember half the night and looked like I had crawled straight from hell, Tyler thought._ The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he heard a scream, way off in the distance near the gazebo. Josh was watching too and he threw the cigarette on the ground, smashing it with his foot and rocked on his heels.

“Do you believe in ghosts?” Josh asked suddenly. Tyler looked sideways at him.

“Yeah. Why?” _This guy has got to be fucking with me._

“I never have until tonight.” He looked deep in thought again. He shrugged again. “Anyways, it was nice talking to you man. I’ll see you on Monday. Have a safe weekend.” He took down the steps then, barely giving time for Tyler to yell out a weak goodbye as he strode across the road. Just as he took a step onto the other side, under the streetlamp Brendon’s car screeched to a stop, effectively blocking Tyler’s’ view from Josh.

“Hey, man!” Brendon greeted as Tyler threw his bag in the bag in the back and sat up in front. He looked down at the mess of wrappers and shoes littered around and wrinkled his nose. “I know, I’m a mess. Fun side though – the haunted house is free for us if we help out some younger kids through it.” Brendon continued to talk about the haunted house as he shifted into gear and sped off down the block. Tyler was only half listening as the music was turned up and he looked back; Josh was standing at the corner still, clothes drenched and his arm quirked like he was waving.

Tyler ignored the shiver that went down his spine.


End file.
